The alternating adsorption of oppositely charged molecular species, known as the electrostatic layer-by-layer (LBL) process, is a simple and elegant method of constructing highly tailored ultrathin polymer and organic-inorganic composite thin films.    We have utilized this method to develop thin films that can deliver proteins and biologic drugs such as growth factors with highly preserved activity from surfaces with sustained release periods of several days; manipulation of the 2D composition of the thin films can lead to simultaneous or sequential release of different components, resulting in highly tunable multi-agent delivery (MAD) nanolayered release systems.   New developments in this area include the ability to modulate drug release over periods of several weeks to months in sequence through the use of nanomaterials like graphene oxide as separating barrier layers between multilayers loaded with different delivery agents.   Furthermore, by the incorporation of hydrophobic polyamines with polyacids at appropriate pH assembly conditions, we have recently developed microbicidal thin film coatings that exhibit unusual super-nonfouling properties that offer great promise for multilayer thin films.  We have investigated the use of these nanometer to micron thick films as orthopedic implant coatings, matrices for tissue engineering and wound healing, and transdermal vaccine delivery.   We demonstrate that the time frame and nature of release is determined by the nanolayer architecture and degree of interdiffusion between film components.

Nanolayer solutions for biomedical implants and wound healing

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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